Tazy: description of the dog breed and the nuances of the content

Tazy is a unique and very small breed of dog, known in hunting circles as the Central Asian or Turkmen greyhound. In its homeland in Turkmenistan, the breed was raised into a cult for several millennia, and its happy owners remembered by heart the entire pedigree of their pet. Animals are quite frequent characters in Turkmen folklore and are the only dogs that entered the owner's personal tent.

Tazy is one of the oldest breeds belonging to the eastern group of greyhounds. Specialists have repeatedly drawn attention to its close relationship with the Arabian salukas and some other eastern greyhounds: the Afghan luchak and the Russian steppe hound. The history of the appearance of the breed goes back to the VIII century and is associated with the invasion of Arab-Muslim warriors into the territory of modern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

In the course of prolonged wars, some territories of the Central Asian region became part of the Arab Caliphate and were inhabited by Arab warriors and Bedouin tribes. The strangers did not come to the Central Asian expanses empty-handed: they brought property with them, drove cattle and brought their own greyhound hunting dogs - the direct ancestors of modern tazy. Over time, the indigenous people learned to hunt with the help of a new breed and quite quickly appreciated and fell in love with these beautiful, proud dogs.

Then, with the beginning of the Tatar-Mongol invasion of the 12th-13th centuries, greyhounds were brought to the regions north of the Syr Darya and quickly spread across Central Asia from the steppes of Mongolia to the Crimea itself.This is due to the fact that after the conquest of Khorezm and the destruction of the Baghdad Caliphate, the Tatar-Mongols appreciated the breed they saw and began to take its representatives to their native places. This led to the fact that in the territories of Central and Central Asia, 2 species of steppe greyhounds were formed - the Turkmen and Kazakh tazy.

Some experts tend to single out in a separate group uzbek hounds, however, in fact, the group is very heterogeneous and includes, rather, not a separate breed variety, but transitional types and local varieties of two main groups. The formation of the tazy was greatly influenced by climatic conditions and the landscape, thanks to which it was possible to obtain a unique breed, whose representatives perfectly tolerated the hot steppe climate, felt great in the absence of moisture and did not pay attention to the hot sand.

Dogs were cared for and cherished, they were given the best place in the home and feeding from the master's table, and the pet often got the best piece. The hostesses sewed soft mattresses and pillows for them, and so that the animal does not suffer from cold and heat, they were dressed in carefully sewn blankets, decorated with ribbons and embroidered with beads.

During the hunt, in order not to waste the dog's strength, the owner put it on the horse along with him. For this, a special basket was installed behind the saddle, in which the basins majestically sat. In addition, the owners were very proud of their pets and raised them to the rank of family jewels.

This continued until the proclamation of Soviet power and the entry of the Central Asian republics into the Soviet Union. So, by the beginning of the 30s of the last century, the number of Tazy livestock in these regions had significantly decreased, and in some places the dogs had completely disappeared. However, concerned admirers of age-old national traditions did not allow the breed to disappear, taking immediate measures to quickly restore it.

By the labor of these people, by 1938 the number of Tazy in Kazakhstan alone approached 7 thousand individuals. However, the breed could not return its former glory and honor. This is primarily due to the receding of the classic model of hunting with horses and dogs.

People have become more poaching, using motorcycles and cars for this and blinding frightened animals with a bright beam of searchlights. Therefore, over time, the need for greyhounds has disappeared, and pots have practically ceased to be used for their intended purpose. In this regard, most of the Kazakh pure lines of the breed were lost, which is associated with the greater secularity of the society that formed in the republic.

In the more conservative Turkmenistan, there were much fewer immigrants with a European way of life, and therefore it was possible to preserve most of the national traditions and relics. Among them was the Turkmen greyhound, who retained the purity of blood and did not lose the high working qualities of an unsurpassed hunter.

Due to the rapid development of urbanization in the Central Asian republics, the Tazy "came" to the city. The dog began to be raised as a pet and shown at exhibitions. The debut of the Kazakh and Turkmen tazy lines took place in 1958 at the 1st All-Union Exhibition, which was held in the capital. The event was attended by service and hunting dogs, among which there were 12 Kazakh and 2 Turkmen greyhounds.

In 1959, the first All-Union standard of both breed lines - Kazakh and Turkmen, was drawn up, which remained unchanged for a long time. In 1995, a new standard for the Uzbek-Kazakh Tazy was approved in the Russian Federation of Hunting Dogs.

In addition to the republics of Central Asia, greyhound nurseries are located in the Baltic countries, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark and Finland. In Russia, purebred tazy are bred by breeders from St. Petersburg.

Due to the fact that at the moment the breed is not recognized by the International Cynological Federation, the standardization of the livestock is carried out taking into account the latest approved standard from 1995. According to this document, the Taz are two types of lean build dogs. Individuals of the Kazakh type are taller than the Turkmen: the growth of males is 60-70 cm, bitches - 55-65 cm.In the Turkmen branch, males grow up to 55-65 cm, females - up to 53-60 cm. The weight of individuals, depending on gender and type of breed, ranges from 25 to 35 kg.

The description of the breed is as follows.

• The body in representatives of both types elongated, with an index of the ratio of the length of the croup to the height at the withers - 100/103. Bitches in comparison with males are slightly more elongated, which is due to the need to feed several puppies at the same time. The musculature of the animals is rather dry, the bones are strong, and very well developed.

• Skin at the basin It is characterized by high elasticity and, without forming folds, tightly fits the body.

• The head has a slightly elongated shape, it is rather dry, resembling a wedge when viewed from above. The occipital region is moderately expressed, in addition, there is a weak development of the sagittal ridge. The stop is smooth, very weak.

• Expressive eyes are almond-shaped, and the color of the iris is always brown, completely independent of the color of the coat. The look is very confident and understanding.

• The lips of the basin are rather thin, fitting tightly to the teeth.

• Teeth are present in a complete set, white and strong, closing in a scissor bite.

• The nose in most cases has black pigmentation, however, brown tints are allowed in light-colored greyhounds.

• The ears are covered with long and wavy hair, have a thin structure and hang freely, touching the corners of the lips with their ends. Most often, they are set on the line of the eyes or slightly higher and rise above the head thanks to the elastic cartilage.

• The neck is set high has a rounded or slightly laterally compressed shape, somewhat elongated. In some dogs, it curves up slightly.

• The chest is wide and rounded, drooping down to the elbow joint.

• The back is straight or with a crossbar... The loin is somewhat shortened, with clearly visible relief muscles, and often has a slight bulge. The croup is wide and moderately sloping, the belly is tucked up.

• The tail is thin, ends in a ring, lowered just below the line of the body and resembles a saber. During the run of the animal, it rises slightly, but does not go above the line of the back.

• The forelegs are straight, well muscled in the forearms, parallel to each other. The pasterns are elongated and slightly oblique. The hind legs are wider than the front ones, they have long levers and a sheer metatarsus.

• The coat is single-layered, with a short, dense and very soft guard hair. On the ears there are cloaks 6 cm long, on the front and hind legs - feathers, on the tail - a beautiful fan-suspension.

• The color can be white and gray with light specks of the limbs and tan areas. And also black, dark gray and red shades with specks to match the main coat are allowed, and for black individuals - a white spot on the chest.

Describing the breed, one cannot fail to mention its achievements. So, despite its rarity and small number, the Tazy is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest dog capable of speeds of 68.8 km / h. Thanks to high-speed running, in the days of the nomads, the tazy independently caught up with the beast, killed it and brought it to the owner. However, with the advent of firearms, this need disappeared.

Tazy is a calm and dignified dog that treats its owner with great warmth, but is absolutely indifferent to strangers. However, due to excessive independence, the dog will not relentlessly follow the owner, but will imposingly settle in its place and will look down on what is happening.

Contemplating such a picture, it is very difficult to imagine that this proud and independent dog is an unsurpassed hunter, capable of working not only in a flock with fellows, but also in conjunction with hunting birds. Tazy gets along well with other dogs, however, it is not recommended to keep very small breeds in the house with him: the hunting instinct can play a cruel joke, and the small pet risks being in the role of prey.

But it should also be noted that, unlike other hunting breeds, which do not differ in high security and guard qualities, the tazy are an exception. Dogs do an excellent job of being a watchman and bodyguard, preventing intruders from even getting close to their master.

Despite some arrogance and imposing, Tazy often behaves like a cat. The dog enjoys basking at the feet of the owner and bends with his whole body when he is stroked. As for the attitude towards children, the pots do not show any aggression towards them, they behave quite friendly. However, if the dog from early childhood was not socialized and adapted to children, then leaving a small child alone with it is not worth it.

Despite the fact that the biological life span of the breed is 13-15 years, Tazy do not live to old age very often. This is especially true of urban dogs, taken into the family as companions. There are several reasons for the early deaths of pets.

Dogs of this breed pursue any moving target, which is why the pet can easily run away for a walk after an airplane flying in the sky. In addition, these dogs run at very high speed, so it is often simply impossible to catch up and reason with them. This often leads to the death of the cans under the wheels of the car.

The second cause of early death is heart disease, which is often passed on to the puppy from parents. So, among the most common diseases in the pelvis can be noted heart failure, congenital heart muscle defect, anemia and thrombocytopenia. And also dogs are often susceptible to food allergies, dermatitis, pyoderma, alopecia and cancer, more often lymphoma.

The optimal place for tazy to live is in the countryside, where the pet will have enough space for games and fast long runs.If the dog will live in the city, then the owner should take care of a place for walking in advance, where the tazy can run and play with other animals for several hours a day.

Such dogs must travel several tens of kilometers every day, which is why they are the best companions for lovers of long hikes and cycling. However, when traveling together, the dog must be kept on a leash. Carried away by a flying bird, a pet can rush after it and get lost.

In general, Tazy are ideal dogs for home keeping. For many centuries of living in the same tent with a person, they learned not to scatter food, eat carefully and behave very decently. In addition, tazy cannot live on the street physically, since the pet's coat does not have an undercoat.

You can feed the pots with both natural food and ready-made food. If you decide to feed the dog with ordinary food, then you need to remember that food from the human table is not suitable for the pet. The basis of the dog's menu is lean meat, which is recommended to be given fresh, cut into pieces and doused with boiling water. It should be at least 60% of the total serving, and the remaining 40% should be vegetables and cereals, flavored with a spoonful of vegetable oil. Eggs should be given to a pet boiled and no more than twice a week.

And also the dog is given boiled and stoned sea fish, seasonal fruits, cottage cheese and low-fat sour cream. ZIt is forbidden to feed the tazy with sweets, baked goods, salted, smoked and fried foods, as well as foods with a high content of dyes and preservatives.

If the dog will eat ready-made food, then it is better to opt for premium trainscontaining all the substances necessary for the animal's body. Whatever the type of food the Tazy feeds, the dog must have free access to fresh drinking water.

Caring for pots is pretty simple and doesn't differ much from caring for many other breeds. The dog needs to be thoroughly brushed a couple of times a week, thus preventing fur felting. During the molting period, the number of combing is increased, and if necessary, even up to twice a day.

You should bathe your pet no more than 4 times a year.using special dog shampoos for this. In case of slight contamination, the wool is wiped with a damp cloth or treated with dry shampoo.

Teeth brushing is performed every 2 weeks using a toothpaste and a brush-attachment on the finger. The ears and eyes are examined daily, and if necessary, the discharge is removed with a damp cloth. If pus or an unpleasant odor appears, the pet is immediately shown to the veterinarian.

Greyhounds are prone to otitis media, therefore, the condition of the ears should be monitored especially carefully. And also you need to regularly cut your pet's claws, using special scissors or a nail clipper for this.

Tazy are difficult for dogs to train and are not suitable as a first pet. Due to their proud and self-sufficient nature, they respond with a protest to any coercion. That's why treat dogs gently and at the same time very persistently. When raising tazy, it is worth stocking up on a lot of patience, since the dog is in no hurry to carry out commands and, whenever possible, will try to seize the initiative.

The main thing is not to let the dog take the lead and show him who is the boss. Before the lesson, it is advisable to tire the tazy, otherwise the dog will rush and will not want to train. For this, you can apply the apporting.Socialization of the pet is no less important, since an angry basin can be very dangerous for others.

For more information on the characteristics of the breed, see the next video.